Hood-forming attachment for sleeping bags



HOOD-FORMING ATTACHMENT FOR SLEEPING BAGS Filed Sept l, 1953 SHOW H DSINVENTOR. ,M5597 /W/uE/Q A free/wwf United States Patent O HGOD-FRNIINGATTACHMENT FOR SLEEPING BAGS Albert Miller, Seattle, Wash., assigner toSeattle Quilt Manufacturing Co., lne., Seattle, Wash., a corporation ofWashington Application September 1, 1953, Serial No. 377,836

4 Claims. (Cl. 5--343) This invention relates to improvements in outdoorsleeping bags and more particularly concerns an attachment by which thehead and shoulders of the occupant may be covered and protected. Theinvention is herein illustratively described by reference to itspresently preferred form. However it should be appreciated that certainmodifications and changes therein may be made without departing from thecharacterizing features involved.

Hood-forming attachments for sleeping bags have been proposed in thepast, However, most of these have had certain disadvantages greatlylimiting their commercial acceptability. Those nearest in principle tothe present invention have either been uncomfortable, awkward to operateor relatively expensive or complicated to manufacture. A general objectof the present invention is to overcome these difficulties Whilesatisfying other well understood requirements of sleeping bagconstruction.

A specific object of the invention is a sleeping bag hood-formingattachment which, while comfortable and non-restrictive to necessarymovements of the occupants head and shoulders, furnishes protectionagainst rain and snow, as well as the Wind and cold. A related object isa device of this character which may be partially opened and still becomfortable in cool or Windy weather, and which may be fully opened andfolded under to serve as a pillow in warm, clear weather when no headcoverage is needed.

Another specic object of the invention is a sleeping bag attachment ofthe type described which is easily operated by a person occupying thebag in order to form a full hood, a partial hood, or simply a pillowfrom the ap of material comprising the attachment.

Still another object is an attachment of the type described having fewand comparatively simple fastener elements used in making up the full orpartial hood and which is comparatively simple and inexpensive tomanufacture because of the uncomplicated shape of the flap comprisingthe body of the hood-forming attachment.

In achieving these and other objects, one edge of a substantiallyrectangular flap is attached to the bottom panel of the sleeping bag atthe bag entrance and the opposite edge of this flap is provided withcooperating slide fastener elements which extend from the middle to theadjacent corners of the flap and are engaged progressively by drawingthe slide element from its initial midposition along their length tobring such elements together and thereby form a hood. Such slidefastener elements may be brought together along their full length oralong a portion of their length in which latter case a partial hood isformed, the flaps of which are folded back and secured where they willnot rub against the occupants face. The full or partial hood thus formedopens toward the foot of the sleeping bag, hence forms a shield againstprecipitation while furnishing plenty of open space for fresh air toenter the hood.

Auxiliary fastener elements along opposite sides of the hood ap andcooperating fastener elements in the top panel of the bag near oppositesides thereof constitute a 2,757,390 Patented Aug. 7, 1956 means forclosing the sides of the hood against drafts of cold air reaching theoccupants shoulders, whereas in warm weather these fastener elements maybe disengaged if desired.

These and other features, objects and advantages of the invention willbecome more fully evident from the following description by reference tothe accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a plan View of the head portion of a sleeping bag having theimproved hood-forming attachment spread out in fully open position.

.Figure 2 is a similar view in which the cooperating slide fastenerelements of the attachment flap have been fully engaged to form the fullhood.

Figure 3 is a side elevation View of the hood as illustrated in Figure2.

Figure 4 is a plan View in which the full hood of Figure 2 has beenreduced to a partial hood by disengaging the fastener elements over aportion of their length.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the head portion of a double sleeping bag inwhich two similar hood-forming attachments are incorporated.

Referring to Figures 1 through 4, the sleeping bag proper 10 may be ofany suitable construction. Typically it comprises a rectangular toppanel 10a and a similar bottom panel 10b, the two of which are joinedtogether at the sides and across the bottom of the bag and serve as anopen-ended closure containing suitable quilting or insulating layers onthe inside, often with .a pocket next tothe bottom panel for insertionof an air mattress.`

Usually the top and bottom panels 10a and 10b are formed of one piece ofcloth or other flexible sheet material folded in half along alongitudinal midline and provided with a slide fastener or otherfastening elements along the longitudinal edges, the bottom edges beingsimilarly equipped or being merely sewn permanently together. Thedetails of construction of the sleeping bag proper form no part of thepresent invention hence are not illustrated herein, except asspecifically mentioned below.

Preferably in the practice of the present :invention the sleeping bag isopen across its full width at the head end. This is desirable formaximum roominess adding to the comfort of the bag. Thus a full-widthbag of this type is much more comfortable than the so-called mummy typebag which is made deliberately snug in order to exclude cold air. Onedecided advantage of the present improvement is that it permits afull-width bag to be used While providing a means in conjunction withthe hood-forming attachment for preventing drafts of cold air around theoccupants shoulders. This result may be accomplished whether the full orpartial hood is formed from the attachment device. Moreover, this resultis accomplished without restricting the roominess of the bag to receivethe occupants shoulders and without impairing the comfortable warmth androominess of the hood formed to protect the occupants head andshoulders.

When laid `out flat as in Figure l the improved hoodforming attachmentl2 comprises a flap of material in substantially rectangular form.Preferably the width of this flap measured lengthwise of the bag isapproximately half its length measured transversely of the bag. 011elong edge of the attachment flap is secured to the bags bottom panel 10balong the bags entrance 10c. In the example this securement is effectedby five snap fasteners. One, 14, is located centrally, two others, 16and 19, are located a substantial small fraction of the distance inwardfrom the side edges` of the bag, and the remaining two, 18 and Ztl, arelocated substantially in the corners. The complemental elements of thesnap fasteners lll, 16 and )i9 may be engaged with the marginal edge ofthe attachment ap 12 overlapped slightly by the adjacent edge of thebottom panel b, such edge being shown by the dotted line 12a. However,in the case of the corner fasteners i8 and Ztl, the complemental fastener elements are attached not directly to the marginal edge of thehood-forming dap 12 but rather to the marginal edge of a separate coverflap 22 which lies beneath the outstretched'tlap l2 and is sewn to theap 12A along a4 portion of the marginal edge thereof overlapped by thebag bottom panel lilly as will be more fully explained later herein. Theeifect, however, is to provide a substantially continuous attachment ofthe flap 12 along one ofv its edgesto the adjacent edge of the bottompanel 10b, as shown in Figure l. The nature of the securing means isimmaterial for present purposes; in fact the overlapping edges may besewn together if desired rather than; being interconnected by detachablemeans, except fork the use shown in Figure 5. y

The hood-forming tlap 12 may be stretched out as shown in Figure l andused as a pillow, if desired. For purposes of comfort in this usage aswell as'for warmth when'formed into a-hood, this flap is preferablypadded or quilted as indicated by the Zig-Zag seam lines 12b. When usedstrictly as a pillow its `outer half should be folded beneath its innerhalf joined to the bag panel 10b for increasingthe thickness of materialbeneath the occupants head. The hood-forming liap 12 may be folded backin this manner to form a pillow without soiling the soft lining materialof the flap since the underlying cover tlap 22 prevents it fromcontacting the ground. This is oneof the multifold purposes of the coverap 22.

The unsecured long edge of the rectangular lap 12, that is the edgeparallel to the secured edge 12a, is preferably a straight,substantially continuous edge. the two halves of this free edgecomplemental slide fastener elements 24a and 24h are secured. Theserespective slide fastener elements extend substantially from the middleof the edge to the very corners `of the flap 12, as illustrated. Theslider element 24e which brings these slide fastener elements 24a and24h progressively together in the manner of a conventional slidefastener lies midway between the opposite sides of the flap 12 with theap outstretched. The flap is formed into a hood simply by drawing theslider element 24C from its midposition along.

the flaps edge towards the corners of the ap and thereby drawing thecomplemental fastener elements 24a and 24h progressively together. In sodoing, the two corners of the flap 12 are progressively folded over thestill outstretched portion of the flap and when the slider element 24Creaches the ends of the fastener elements 24aand 2411 i a full hood isformed as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

lf the slider 24e is drawn only a fraction the length of thecomplemental fastener elements 24a and 24h, a

partial hood is formed as shown in Figure 4. In this case. theunconnected corners of the ap 12 are foldedback and held by suitablemeans such as the snap fasteners comprising complemental elements 26a,26b and 28a, ZSb. The elements 26a and 28a are located in the verycorners of the ap 12 whereas the elements 26h and 2813 are locatedapproximately midway along the length of the diagonal folds formed inthe flap 12 when converted into a hood, as illustrated in Figures 2 and4 for instance. It is essential that these corners be held back as bythe fasteners 26 and 28 in the partial-hood formation of the ap 12(Figure 4) otherwise the main advantage of a. partial hood is lost,namely a partial uncovering of the occupants head for moderate exposure.

`Itwill be seen from Figures 2 and 3 that complete interengagement ofthe slide fastener elements 24a and 24b forms a protective hood whichcompletely covers the head and shoulders of the occupant of the bag. Atthe same time, however, a spacious opening 30 is formed between thecanopy portion of the hood and the top bag panel 10a'so as to permitplenty of fresh air to enter the hood and to afford a large degree ofroominess in the Along hood for turning of the head into the variouspositions normally assumedY in sleep. Thus while maximum protectionagainst rain and `other forms of precipitation is afforded by the fullhood, comfortable breathing is readily possible.

It will be observed in Figures 2 and 3 especially that interengagementof the complemental slide fastener elements 24a and 24b to form the hoodcauses theopposite side edges of the flap 12 near the base of the flapto lie closely adjacent or even to overlap the bags top panel 19a nearopposite sides of the bag. Thus, While a. spacious hood opening 30 isformed centrally of the hood and bag, the gap between the edge of thehood and the top panel of the bag is narrowed or even closed near thesides of the occupied bag. This arrangement is of decided advantage inthat it excludes cold air drafts from reaching the occupants shoulders.

More effective exclusion of cold air from the hoods interior at theopposite sides of the combinedy bag and hood ,is achieved by theprovision of fastener elements adapted for securing together theoverlapping edges' ofV the'hood and top bag panel lila near the sides ofthe bag which will not unduly restrict or close the central hood opening30. Thus innermost snap fastener elements32a and 36a, and outermost snapfastener elements 34a and 38a are installed along the marginal edge ofthe top bag panel 10a near respectively opposite sides of the bagwhereas the:correspondingly numbered complemental snap fastener elements3217, 36h, 34h, and 38h are installed along-the respectively oppositeedges of the flap 12 in locations which correspond to their mates withthe hood formed. If desired, none of these draft-exclusion fastenersneed be engaged. On the other hand, any or all may be engaged either inthe full hood formation shownin Figure 2 or in the partial hoodformation shown in Figure 4.

Preferably all of the snap fastener elements on the two panels 10a and10b located along the edge of the entrance opening 10c are either maleor female, but notv mixed. This applies to the elements 34a, 32a, 36a,38a and to a fifth centrally located element 40a on the top panel 10a,as well as to the similarly located elements of the fasteners20, 19, 16,18, and 14 0n the bottom panel 10b. Furthermore, thebag-attachedelements of the snap fasteners 16 and 18 are located thesame distances from the adjacent side of the bag as the overlying snapfastener elements 36a and 38a, respectively. The same holds true of theybag-attached elements of fasteners 19 and 20 withrelation to theoverlying elements 32a and 34a. The

purpose of theser provisions as to the type and locationof the fastenerelements on the bag panels is made clear in Figure 5 where-the top andbottom panels 10a and 10b have -been stretched out in coplanarrelationship to form the bottom-of a double-width bag in the usualmanner. This is accomplished, of course, by opening up the bag along onefull side and along the bottom, and spreading out the panels so thatasimilar sleeping bag, likewise opened up, may be laid over the top andfastened thereto along the side and bottom edges to form the double bag.When this has been accomplished, hood-forming aps 12 and 12" are securedto the respective halves of the bottom panel in sidebyside relationship,so that hoods may be formed for the two occupants of the double-widthbag just as in the case of a single-width bag as previously described.The snap fastener elements of the bottom panel of the double-widthbagand the snap fastener'elements on the top vpanel of such bag are solocated in relation to the snap fastener elements of the two hoods thatthese results are achieved. Hence each of the two occupants hasV anindividual hood, the nature and functions of'which correspond to thesimilar hood used on a singlewidth bag. The various elements of thehood-forming aps 12v and 12"'bear numerals corresponding to the rsimilarelernents ofk the flap 12 in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, with theprime and double prime notations added for the sake of consistency.

It Was previously mentioned that the hood-forming flap 12 was sewn tothe cover flap 22 along but a portion of the formers edge 12a overlappedby the bottom panel b and that the respective elements of fasteners 18and were actually secured to the marginal edge of the cover ap 22 ratherthan to the corresponding edge of the hood-forming ap 12. Thereinforcing seams 12d and 12C transverse to the edge 12a terminate thesewn connection between the two flaps and prevent them from rippingapart easily. The free length of the edge 12a between the seams 12b and12e` and the respectively adjacent corners of the flap 12 is sufficientto minimize binding and gathering of the cloth in the flap 12 at thesides of the hood when the hood is formed in the manner previouslydescribed. In other words, the root corners of the flap 12 are unsecuredfor reasons of added flexibility in forming the hood.

The cover ap 22 underlying the outstretched hood ap 12 is secured to theroot edge of the latter, hence to the bottom panel of the bag 10 but isotherwise free. It is provided with drawstrings 22a and 22h extendingthrough edge hems formed in the side edges of the llap and is of asufcient size that it may be used as a protective cover for the bagwhich has been folded in two longitudinally and rolled up in theconventional manner. As previously mentioned, this cover flap protectsthe soft lining material of the hood flap 12 when the latter is foldedunder for use as a pillow. It has the further use of serving as a canopyoverlying the entire hood and even partially covering the breathingopening in case of severe precipitation. lts length in the directionlongitudinally of the bag is sufficient to permit its being folded backover the hood and affording this additional protection when needed. Forthis purpose its length should be more than twice the width of thehood-forming fiap measured lengthwise of the bag, and the termmaterially (or substantially) greater as used in the claims in referencethereto has that connotation.

I claim as my invention:

l. The sleeping bag combination comprising a bag having top and bottompanels and an entrance opening at one end, a hood-forming devicecomprising a substantially rectangular flap having an inner edge securedto the bottom panel of the sleeping bag across the width of the bagopening, opposite side edges extending substantially lengthwise of thebag with said ap outstretched, and an outer edge, a slide fastenerelement extending substantially continuously along said outer edgesubstantially from the middle thereof to one outer corner of the ap, acomplemental slide fastener element extending substantially continuouslyalong said outer edge substantially from the middle thereof to the otherouter corner of the flap, a fastener-operating slider `initiallypositioned substantially at the middle of said outer edge with the flapoutstretched, said fastener elements being interengageable over anyselected portion of their length by moving said slider from its initialposition progressively to said outer flap corners, thereby folding oversaid flap along two oppositely inclined diagonals substantiallyintersecting the middle of said outer flap edge and forming an overheadhood extending across the width of the sleeping bag and opening towardthe foot of the bag, fastener elements fixed to the respective outercorners of the flap, complemental fastener elements fixed to the flap atgenerally intermediate locations along the fold lines thereof, saidcomplemental fastener elements being respectively engageable by saidcorner fastener elements for holding down the corners of said flapfolded back in order to form a partial hood with said slide fastenerelements interengaged over only a fraction of their length, the width ofthe ap measured lengthwise of the sleeping bag `is approximately halfthe length of such Hap, whereby the side edges of the flap extend alongthe top panel of the bag across the width of the bag opening withtheflap i formed in a hood, fastener elements xed to the `side edges of theap, and complemental fastener elements engageable thereby respectivelyfixed to the top panel of the bag adjacent the bag opening, said toppanel fastener elements being located near the respectively oppositesides of the bag for closing the hood along the sides withoutrestricting the opening thereof centrally of the bag.

2. The sleeping bag combination comprising a bag having top and bottompanels and an entrance opening at one end, a hood-formingdevicecomprising a substantially rectangular ap having an inner edge securedto the bottom panel of the sleeping bag across the width of the bagopening, opposite side edges extending substantially f lengthwise of thebag with said flap outstretched, and

an outer edge, a slide fastener element extending substantiallycontinuously along said outer edge substantially from the middle thereofto one outer corner of the flap, a complemental slide fastener elementextending substantially continuously along said outer edge substantiallyfrom the middle thereof to the other outer corner of the flap, afastener-operating slider initially positioned substantially at themiddle of said outer edge with the flap outstretched, said fastenerelements being interengageable over any selected portion of their lengthby moving said slider from its initial position progressively to saidouter Hap corners, thereby folding over said flap along two oppositelyinclined diagonale substantially intersecting the middle of said outerflap edge and forming an overhead hood extending across the width of thesleeping bag and opening toward the foot of the bag, wherein the widthof the flap measured lengthwise of the sleeping bag is approximatelyhalf the length of such flap,l whereby the side edges of the flap extendalong the top panel of the bag across the width of the bag opening withthe flap formed in a hood, and fastener elements fixed to the side edgesof the flap, and complemental fastener elements engageable therebyrespectively fixed to the top panel of the bag adjacent the bag opening,said top panel fastener elements being located near the respectivelyopposite sides of the bag for closing the hood along the sides withoutrestricting the opening thereof centrally of the bag.

3. The sleeping bag combination comprising a bag having top and bottompanels and an entrance opening at one end, a cover ap secured to thebottom panel across the entrance opening of the bag and forming asubstantial continuation of said bottom panel lengthwise of the bag, asubstantially rectangular hood-forming flap having an inner edge securedto the bottoni panel of the bag across the width of the bag opening butotherwise separate from said cover flap, said hood-forming ap having awidth measured lengthwise of the bag approximately half the length ofsuch flap, said cover ap having a width measured lengthwise of the bagmaterially greater than the corresponding width of said hood-formingflap, said hoodforming flap having an outer edge substantially parallelto the inner edge thereof, a slide fastener element extendingsubstantially continuously along said outer edge substantially from themiddle thereof to one outer corner of the flap, a complemental slidefastener element extending substantially continuously along said outeredge substantially from the middle thereof to the other outer corner ofthe flap, a fastener-operating slider initially positioned substantiallyat the middle of said outer edge with the flap outstretched, saidfastener elements being interengageable by moving said slider from itsinitial position progressively to said outer liap corners, therebyfolding over said flap along two oppositely inclined diagonalsIsubstantially intersecting the middle of said outer flap edge andforming an overhead hood extending across the width of the sleeping bagand opening toward the foot of the bag, and fastener elements fixed tothe side edges of the flap, and complemental fastener elementsengageable thereby respectively fixed to the top panel of the bagadjacent the bagopening, saidtop panel fastener elements ybeing, locatednear the respectively opposite sides of the bag for closing the hoodalongthe sides without restrictingv the opening thereof centrally of thebag.

4. The sleeping bag combination comprising a sleeping bag having top andbottom panels and an entrance opening at one end, a hood-forming devicefor such bag comprising a substantially rectangular ap having an inneredge secured to the bottom panel of the bag across the width of the bagopening, opposite side edges extending substantially lengthwise of thebag with said iap ontstretched, and an outer edge, the Width of. saidflap measured lengthwise of the sleeping bag being approximately halfthe length of such flap, fastener means extending substantiallycontinuously along saidouter edge substantially from the middle thereofto one outer corner of the flap, complemental. fastener means extendingsubstantially continuously along said outer edge substantially from themiddle thereof to the other outer corner of the flap, said respectivefastener means being progressively interengageable commencingwith theirends at the middle of said outer edge along any selected portion oftheir length to the respective outer corners of said flap for securingthe two halves of said outer edge substantially continuously togetherand thereby folding over said ap 25 along two oppositely'inclineddiagonals substantially intersecting the middle of said outer flap edgeand forming an overhead closed hood extending across the width of thesleeping bag and opening towardthe foot of the bag,

fastener elements fixed to the respective outer corners of.'

thevap, complemental fastener elements fixed to the ap atJV generallyintermediate locations along the fold lines thereof,said complementalfastener elements being respectively engageable by said corner fastenerelements for holdingtdown the corners of said flap folded back inorder-to forma partial hood with said slide fastener References Cited inthe flle ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,555,051 Miller May 29,1951 2,581,357 Burstein Jan. 8, 1952 2,588,536 Kaplan Mar. 11, 1952FOREIGN PATENTS 12,579 Great Britain Sept. 16, 1887 186,829 SwitzerlandMar. 16, 1937

